This invention is directed to a device for evaporative cooling of a large mass of air such that the large mass of air can be utilized to cool partially open enclosures utilized in such industries as the dairy industry and the like. The invention utilizes an apparatus which moves an air stream through a spiral pathway and induces a water spray into the air stream as it moves in the spiral pathway.
In certain industries wherein large structures are utilized and where these structures by the very nature of the industry cannot be sealed to air egress and ingress, it has been found extremely difficult to modify the environment within the interior of this structure by reducing the air temperature therein. Because of the high cost associated with their use, refrigerated air conditioning units are precluded. Further, evaporative coolers based upon passing an air stream through a wetted pad and the like have found little utility in cooling these structures because of problems related to them as outlined below.
The dairy industry, as it has practiced in the southwestern portion of the United States and in other areas having similar climatic conditions, must provide for shelters and the like for the animals against the extreme temperatures occurring during midday during the summer season. Typical daily average temperatures equal or exceed 100.degree. F. The dairy animals, if left exposed to the midday and afternoon sun at these temperatures, would die from exposure. To combat this, the use of corrals shades is wide spread. These corrals shades are essentially open sided structures having a roof. The roof provides a shaded area which moves as the sun traces its pathway overhead. Normally, these corrals are constructed as elongated structures with elongated axis oriented north and south. This construction is utilized in order to allow the ground area underneath the roof of the corral to be exposed at some time during the day to the sun's rays to dry out the moisture accumulating there from the waste products of the animals.
The corrals are constructed without walls for several reasons. The first of these being economics. The second being allowing for convenient removal of the waste products of the animals on a periodic basis from beneath the corral roof. The lack of walls on the corral also allows for air flow across the ground beneath the roof to further augment the drying out of the moisture accumulated there as a waste product from the cows. If these waste products were allowed to build up in a moisturized state, because of the high temperature, pathogen growth in the waste products would be excess and detrimental to the health of the animals.
Even though the animals are provided with the corral structure to provide a shady environment at all times during the day, their efficiency in producing milk is compromised because of high temperatures. The compromise in the animals efficiency in turn compromises the economics of the dairy operation.
The only presently known air conditioning system for use with the above noted corral structures are the devices commonly known as "swamp coolers." In these devices a porous pad, e.g. excelsior or the like, is wetted by a water spray or by drip nozzles. The air is forced through the wetted pads reducing the air temperature as a result of evaporation of the water picked up by the air as it moves through the pads. This system suffers several defects when utilized with the open corral structures normally found in conjunction with the dairy industry.
Because the air in passing through the above noted swamp cooler must be forced through a restricted opening, i.e. the wetted pad, a blower must be driven by an electrical motor of a sufficient capacity to drive the air through this restriction. Presently, this requires the use of an approximate 3/4 h.p. motor located every 10 feet along the length of the corral structure. Further, since the pads are in a continually damp or wetted state, they are subject to deterioration by both mechanical abuse and by the growth of mold and the like on the continually wetted pads. This requires frequent replacement of the pads which further detracts from the economics of the use of this type of system.
As alluded to above, it has generally been found necessary to locate a swamp cooler, at intervals approximately every ten feet, along the length of the corral structure. It can easily be seen that with a dairy herd of even moderate size, an appreciable number of units must be installed in order to provide for cooling of the appropriate square footage of the corral structure necessary to shade the herd.
In view of the above, it is evident that there exists a need for new and improved methods of cooling large areas. Further, because in certain industries, such as the dairy industry wherein the cooling must be done in areas having open walled structures, the economics of any cooling system can be very critical because of the continued loss of the cooled air out of the open structure. It is further evident that there exists a need for methods and apparatus of cooling these types of structures which do not rely on air flow through wetted pads because of the increase in horsepower needed to force air through the wetted pads and because of the short lifetime of the wetted pads brought about by their continued exposure to moisture.